WAFFLES FOR ALL CHRISTMAS OCCASIONS: free of butter & added sugar

A big stash of frozen home-made Waffles will come in handy over Christmas, not just for breakfast but as snacks, tea treats, sandwiches & dessert 

first published June 2017 as Healthier Waffles

Waffles with Strawberries'n Cream: 
Low sugar & fat, with wheat-free and high-fibre options

photo 19/6/17                                                   

Waffles have become quite popular in the UK with many households owning a waffle-maker, even if it's only a small one and doesn't get used very often.

Waffles are considered a quick bread, like pancakes.  They both involve a batter with baking powder as leavening agent instead of yeast.  Waffles, however, are cooked between two plates that give a characteristic size, shape and surface impression.  Depending on the waffle-maker, the waffles can have deep impressions - great for pockets of maple syrup.  Or they can be thin and cookie-like with a slightly risen design that's easily rolled into a cone.   

67's recipe is North American style: crisp, thin'ish lightly dense products which are not too sweet, in hand-sized squares or rounds.  Profoundly satisfying!

67's batter has no added sugar and only a little fat.  Replacing some of the flour with wholemeal adds healthy fibre.  If the fruit garnish is ripe and sweet, reduce maple syrup or other sweetener.   If you want to go really healthy, don't bother with cream, just go with strained unsweetened vanilla yoghurt. (See how to do it at home, bottom of page Dressings)

The very best thing about waffles?  They freeze well and reheat beautifully in a toaster or oven. (For details: See How to...Waffles: everything you wanted to know)

The waffles are excellent for using up ripe bananas:

Banana Nut Waffles
'...adds a gorgeous creamy texture, smells delightfully of banana' 

And an experiment with spelt flour was surprisingly successful

Blueberry Spelt Waffles 
'needs an extra minute or two for optimum crispness but were soft & lovely inside'

But don't just think of waffles for breakfast with maple syrup, bacon & sausages.  Go wild; try them... 

• as a sandwich, stuffed with cooked meat, pickle & cheese 
• as a cookie, eg a waffle made with chocolate chip cookie dough
• as a snack, eg cold or reheated, spread with peanut butter & banana 
• for afternoon tea, with berries & cream 
• as a quick, healthy no-sugar carb, toasted from frozen, for a kid
• for dinner: stuffed with crispy Southern Unfried Chicken

Cost: £1.50
Feeds: 8-10 single waffle squares  (recipe multiplies easily)

Ingred:

   100gm/3 1/2oz plain white flour
     50gm/1.7oz wholemeal flour
        2 tsp baking powder
        pinch salt

     1 egg, separated
     300 ml milk
     2 tbsp light veg oil (for the cholesterol-phobic) OR melted butter or a mix 
     1/2 tsp vanilla extract         


Method:

1. Separate egg yolk and egg white; set white aside in a clean bowl; place yolk in a jug
2. Sift dry ingred into large bowl - the bran will be left behind but just toss it in on top of the flours; mix; make a depression in the centre
3. Add milk to the yolk, then oil & vanilla; mix well; pour into dry ingred
4. Using a whisk & plenty of muscle, beat until smooth and thick  
5. In a separate bowl, whisk egg white until soft peaks form (electric beaters are fine for this); 

   

   Soft Peak
   Courtesy of Fine Cooking and licensed for 
   reuse under this Creative Commons Licence
   
   

   
   

   when you lift the beaters the whites form a peak that folds back on itse
6. Preheat waffle iron until 'ready' light goes on
7. Fold the egg whites into the batter using a spatula to cut the white into the mix by pushing it down to the bottom & back up again, turning the bowl until the whites are incorporated.  (A few streaks are ok.)
8. Using a silicone brush dipped in oil or butter, lightly brush the waffle wells 
9. Fill each waffle well 2/3 full, gently pushing the batter into the corners (1/4-1/3 cup) 
10. Close waffle iron; do not open until done: 5-10 mins or until (a) the machine stops steaming or (b) the thermostat light goes off.  
11. Release waffles with tongs or a blunt knife slipped under a corner; the waffles should should come away easily.  
12. Serve with (i) clotted cream (indulgence) OR (ii) whipping cream mixed with strained unsweetened 0-fat yoghurt flavoured with vanilla or lemon zest (a 'skinnier' treat) OR (iii) strained unsweetened 0-fat yoghurt flavoured with vanilla or lemon zest ('I just want something sweet & creamy without breaking my diet!')
13. If freezing waffles or saving for later, cook, cool completely, place in an air-tight bag with small strips of greaseproof paper in between; refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze

For information on freezing & reheating waffles, plus cleaning the waffle maker, See How to...Waffles: everything you wanted to know)

Tips:

• if you don't have a waffle iron, do a Jaimie Oliver and cook them in a well-greased grill pan, following the same instructions in Method: 9.  Cook first side about 8 mins over med heat or until brown at edges and golden overall before flipping and cooking another couple of minutes.  Serve cut into soldiers. 
• Separating the egg and folding in the beaten whites is essential if you want the best waffles - uniformly thick, fluffy inside and beautifully crunchy outside.  But if you can't be bothered and just want to mix a whole egg with the milk, you'll still get okay waffles
• The recipe works well with spelt flour instead of wheat

 Waffles & quick breads incl, pancakes on NavBar: Recipes I/Baked Goods 

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This recipe has  been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises.  It may not be reproduced without the author's written permission.